Abstract

In this article, we construct an innovation scoreboard based on a conceptually acceptable endogenous indicator which is shown to be the output caused by the innovation generating process. A balanced panel of data on 552 UK firms over the period 1994–2005 is used to test for causality using general methods of moments (GMM) estimation and other techniques. With innovation defined as the successful exploitation of new ideas, it is proposed that exploitation be measured by total factor productivity; success be measured by the return on capital employed and their multiple be taken as the indicator of innovation. Results for the sample firms are presented and discussed.